I watched most of the GOP presidential debate this afternoon, expecting to write about it. But it was a bit on the, eh, dull side. Predictable questions; predictable answers--and plenty of attacks on Hillary Clinton. Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani claimed Hillary wants to place a "lid" on economic growth. Where'd he get that fun fact? He didn't say. Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee blasted the disparity between CEO compensation and worker pay. (Is he in the right party?) Two amusing moments.

* In decrying current economic policy, Representative Ron Paul, a libertarian, declared that the U.S. currency is "nonfunctioning." Maybe he needs a new ATM card.

* When Chris Matthews, the main emcee, asked what each candidate would do to restore Americans' confidence in the economy, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney said he would be "confident" when talking about the economy. The future looks great, he added. Later he was asked to name the "greatest threat" to the American economy. "A sense of optimism," he said. "America has to be optimistic." Senator Sam Brownback, counseling optimism, noted that while the United States makes up 5 percent of the globe's population, it accounts for 20 percent of the global economy and one-third of the world's military spending. "This place rocks!" he exclaimed. Imagine how happy he'd be if the U.S. were responsible for even more of the planet's arms trade.

None of the GOPers stood out in the debate, and that made it easier for former Senator Fred Thompson, the latest entrant, to do just fine. The bottom line: the first Thompson-included face-off did not change the dynamic of the up-for-grabs Republican race.

Posted by David Corn at October 9, 2007 05:59 PM